CINCINNATI — For more than 60 years, Barbie has been inspiring girls to dream big and be anything they want to be.
A new exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center called “Barbie: A Cultural Icon” is giving guests a firsthand look at the doll and her influence throughout the ages.
“I have a big Barbie collection, and that’s due to the fact that I’m the youngest of eight children, seven girls. So the oldest sister is 76, so we have the original Barbie that was in the entrance,” said Michelle Jones after walking through the exhibit with her sister Suzy Dorward.
Visitors can see unique pieces like the original Barbie Dream House and a life-size Pink 1984 Barbie Ultra Vette up close.
“It brings back so many memories of playing with my sisters and the dolls. When they introduced the Ken doll, we thought that was so cool and we have the original Ken doll with the hair,” Dorward said. “We rubbed it so much he has a bald spot. It’s fun, and we had the original furniture, the wooden furniture and a little lamp that lit up. It’s bringing back lots of memories.”
Some guests like self-described ‘boy mom’ Angie Haering fully embrace this chance to get decked out in Barbie vibes from head to toe.
“I just love what Barbie represents, how she’s a boss and she’s so many different things and she really just stands for women empowerment and being strong and being the best version of yourself,” Haering said.
The exhibit features more than 300 artifacts and if you look closely, you’re bound to find one or two that take you back to childhood, no matter the decade.
“It means a little something to everyone. It’s about nostalgia, it’s about possibility, it’s about history and the timeline so however you remember Barbie or you came into Barbie, this exhibition is for you,” said Cincinnati Museum Center VP of Marketing and Communications Cody Hefner.
Some dolls featured are from Mattel, but a large portion is from a private collector.
“I love the history of it and even seeing the first black Barbie and how they introduced things throughout the years. I think they were kind of on the cutting edge when they did it. They took risks I think of bringing the women and their careers and the astronauts and showing things that were just dreams in the 60s for girls,” said Jones.
The exhibit runs through Sept. 1.
Guests can also purchase Barbie Dream Packages, which includes a premium ticket voucher plus Barbie sunglasses and a Malibu keychain.
